Abstract
The Prince is a realist: he is interested in what does happen and not in what ought to be. If he wants to stay in power (to ensure the common good) the Prince cannot be honest because it would lead him to his ruin. He is exempt from the normal rules of morality. As he is surrounded by wicked people, he must be selfish (Machiavelli, 1998). He is a calculating person because he prefers to be feared than to be loved (both are incompatible so it becomes necessary to choose). Indeed, he explains that if a Prince is too merciful, this can lead to disorder, and crimes may be generated because of this chaos (Machiavelli, 1998, pp. 55-57). He has the quality of ‘virtu' which gives him the energy to govern and to preserve the unity of the political order. In the consequentialist perspective developed by Machiavelli, the Prince cannot keep his word (Machiavelli, 1998, pp. 58-60).
In fact, he has to behave like two animals which symbolize two complementary qualities: the fox (for guile) and the lion (for strength). Machiavelli argues that the ruler must ‘be a fox to recognize the traps, and a lion in order to frighten the wolves', although strength is normally the way to contend animals (Machiavelli, 1998, p. 58). Machiavelli thought the Prince should be realistic because people judge him on the final results of political actions which must be effective (Viroli, 2008, p. 26).
